The 4th Orthomyxoviruses Research Conference will be held in Woods Hole,[unreadable] Massachusetts September 21st ? 24th, 2007. The meeting is intended to provide a[unreadable] platform for young scientists around the world to share their latest discoveries in[unreadable] orthomyxovirus research. The first three conferences were held in Texel, The[unreadable] Netherlands, in November of 2001; Florham Park, New Jersey in August of 2003;[unreadable] and Cambridge, England in July 2005, and were attended by young scientists from[unreadable] Europe, the U.S., Russia, Japan, and many other parts of the world. This year we[unreadable] expect around 75 attendees from a similarly diverse geography to join us in Woods[unreadable] Hole to exchange ideas, initiate collaborations, and foster relationships with senior[unreadable] scientists in the field. Since it is the intention that experimentalists present their own[unreadable] work, we encourage graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and junior faculty to[unreadable] present. Senior scientists are encouraged to attend the meeting to participate in[unreadable] discussions and interact with other scientists. We welcome abstracts covering all[unreadable] fields of orthomyxovirus research. Session topics include evolution and[unreadable] epidemiology, ecology and influenza in animals, structure and replication, avian-toanimal[unreadable] transmission, genetic manipulation of influenza including reverse genetics,[unreadable] immunology, new approaches to vaccination, pathogenesis including virus host[unreadable] interactions and viral bacterial synergism, diagnostic approaches, use of antivirals,[unreadable] pandemic preparedness, and emerging fields of study. The conference will be held[unreadable] at an easily accessible but exclusive site providing an intense weekend of interaction[unreadable] and exchange of ideas. Worldwide problems due to influenza including the certainty[unreadable] of an incipient pandemic, continuous economic loss from avian influenza, and the[unreadable] threat of bioterrorism make this an important topic for present and future study. The[unreadable] aging of the current leaders in the field of orthomyxoviruses speaks to the urgent[unreadable] need to recruit young scientists to the field of influenza virus research. The purpose[unreadable] of this proposal is to provide funds that will allow promising young investigators to[unreadable] interact with their peers and develop a commitment to this area of research.